Pocket flashlight having clip and switch construction



Nbv. 7,1967 P MG ETAL 3,351,723

'Filed'Dec. 12, 1966 POCKET FLASHLIGHT HAVING CLIP AND SWITCH CONSTRUCTION 2 SheetsSheet 1 I 1 J F15.

wv 'me wmg Q Arrokys v Nov. 7, 1967 |p M|NG ETAL 3,351,723

'POCKET FLASHLIGHT HAVING CLIP AND SWITCILCONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 12, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 27 NVEN oks 8 1 YQ/AM A Tram/Hg United. States Patent 1 3,351,723 POCKET FLASHLIGHT HAVING CLIP AND SWITCH CONSTRUCTION V Yip Ming, Eric Fook-Chuen Li,and Yue:Chun Cheng, Kowloon, Hong Kong, assignors to Sonca Industries Limited, Kowloon, Hong Kong 1 Continuation of application Ser. No. 472,990,,July 19, 1965. This application Dec. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 601,210 4 Claims. (Cl. ZOO- 60) This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 472,990, filed July 19, 1965, and now abandoned.

The present invention relates to electric flashlight. In particular it relates to the construction of the switch of a flashlight.

. It is well-known to provide a small size electric flashlight with a clip to permit it to be carriedconveniently in a pocket and to employ a switch which co-operates with the clip. The conventional clip switch design essentially consists of a sliding clip, which is connected to a longitudinally movable contact strip inside the flashlight bara switch which provides an intermittent light when pressed and released, and which also provides a steady light if moved to a position in which it remains locked, despite the release of the finger pressure, and which also provides a safety locked off" position to prevent accidental lighting of the flashlight when carried inthe pocket.

According to the present invention there is provided an electric flashlight comprising a barrel for containing one or more electric cells, a pocket-engaging clip member secured to the barrel, a depressible switch button located within said clipmember for engaging a resilient deflectable switch contact member through an aperture in the wall of the barrel, said resilient deflectable switch contact member being secured at one end to the wall of the barrel, the free end of said contact member being engageable with a second switch contact member, the switch button being guided for limited longitudinal movement in the clip member between an off position in which, when the button is not manually depressed, the resilient deflectable contact member is the open position and an on position in which the resilient deflectable contact member is held in a closed position in relation to the second switch contact member.

Preferably the clip member is formed with an inverted channel-shaped portion towards one of its ends and this channel-shaped portion is secured to the barrel at longitudinally spaced positions, so as to provide a housing for the switch button. The switch button is pressed against the clip member by the resilient switch contact member, the switch button having a projecting portion which fits into a slot cut in the top of the channel-shaped portion of the clip member. The top surface of the projecting portion has a step formed thereon for engagement under one end of the slot of the clip member when the button is depressed and moved longitudinally to the on position so as to permit the switch to be held closed when the switch button is depressed and moved longitudinally.

The switch button may have a slit cut in one end thereof, so that when the button is moved longitudinally, without being depressed, towards the on position the slit engages the edge of the slot in the clip member and is thus held locked in the OE position. a

One construction of flashlight made in accordance with the present invention is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a longitudinal section of one form of flashlight made in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation, in part section, of a flashlight embodying a modified switch mechanism in the locked ofl position,

FIGURE 3 is a similar view with the switch member in theflflash position, and i FIGURE 4 is a similar view with the locked on position. v

The flashlight shown in FIGURE 1 comprises a barrel 1, made of a conductive metal, such as aluminium steel or brass, and designed to hold a pair of cells 2 which are pressed upwardly by a spring 3 placed in the bottom end of the barrel 1. As is usual, the uppermost cell 2 is pressed against a terminal of a conventional flashlight bulb 4 held in a bulb holder 5,,which is provided with a ring portion 6 at its'lower end and to serve as one of the the switch member at a switch contacts. The bulb holder 5, with threads to hold the bulb 4 in place, is held in position by an elastic member 7, which is made of electrically insulating plastic 7 materials and which is threaded to screw into the open mouth of the metal barrel 1. The ring 6 bears against the end of member 7.

A resilient deflector switch contact 8 is secured inside the barrel 1 and cooperates with the ring 6 for switching the flashlight on and 01f. The contact member 8 is formed with a bowed portion 9 which projects through the wall of the barrel for engagement by a switch button 10, and which also serves to hold the switch button 10 against the clipmember 11. V

'The clip member 11 is secured on the outer surface of n the barrel and has a terminal portion of inverted channel shape comprisedof side walls 12, a top 14 and a front 15. The clip member 11 is'secured to the barrel -1 by means of tongues formed integrally with the side Walls 12, these tongues entering the apertures at longitudinally spaced positions in the barrel wall and being bent outwardly to engage against the inside of the barrel wall and thus hold the clip member firmly to the barrel. The push button 10 has an upwardly projecting portion 16 which fits substantially exactly into a slot in the top 14 of the clip member 11 when the switch is in the open position shown in the drawing. A step 17 is formed in the top surface of the upwardly projecting portion 16. If the switch button -10 is depressed sufliciently to bring the contact member 8 into contact with the ring 6, the button 10 may be pushed forwardly by a sufiicient distance to engage the step 17 underneath the top 14 of the clip at the front end of the slot, so that the switch will be held in the closed condition by the button when the pressure from the finger has been released.

In the flashlight shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 like parts are indicated by the same reference numerals as in FIGURE 1.

As in the construction of FIGURE 1 the switch member 10 is movable in an aperture in the clip member 11.

The switch member 10 has at one end, a shoulder 25 and a slit 26 arranged to engage with the front edge of the slot. At the other end of the switch member and adj'acent the barrel 1 is a tail 27, which is adapted to bear against the barrel 1 when the switch member 10 is sliding relatively to the clip and to constitute a fulcrum about which the switch member 10 can tilt.

As shown in FIGURE 1 at the locked off position the slit 26 is in engagement with the front edge of the slot and the tail 27 presses against the barrel 1, so preventing depression of the switch member 10 to deflect contact member 8 to engage with the ring 6 and close the circuit.

In FIGURE 2 it will be seen that the switch member 19 has been slid out of engagement with the front edge of the slot and manual pressure on the switch member 10 will cause it to pivot about the tail 17 and to deflect the contact member 8 to close the circuit.

In FIGURE 4 the shoulder 25 is shown in engagement with the front edge of the slot. To bring it into this position the switch member 10 is depressed to overcome the resilience of contact member 8 and is then slid upwardly to cause the shoulder 25 to be inserted under the slot edge so holding the contact member 8 in contact with the ring 6.

It is a particular advantage of these constructions that a flashlight may be provided with a much sturdier combined clip and switch than has been previously possible.

We claim:

1. A battery operated flashlight comprising (a) a cylindrical barrel having an aperture therethrough near one end thereof,

(b) a pocket-engaging clip member extending longitudinally of the barrel and being attached thereto near said one end thereof, the clip member having a slot formed therein,

(c) a first switch contact member within said barrel,

((1) a second switch contact member passing through said aperture and having at least a part lying between the slotted portion of said clip and the barrel, the second switch contact member being movable into and out of electrical engagement with the first switch contact member, and

(e) a switch closing member being carried in the slot in the clip and being manually movable towards the barrel to engage the said part of the first switch contact member to alter the state of electric contact between the switch contact members, the switch closing member having ends extending transversely to the direction of the length of the clip and the distance between the said ends being less than the length of the said slot in the said direction so that the switch closing member can slide in the said direction relative to the clip member, the said switch closing mem her having holding flanges extending from the opposite ends in the said direction, the combined length of the holding flanges and the switch closing member in the said direction being greater than the said length of the slot, the switch closing member having locking flange means on one of the said ends and spaced outwardly of the barrel from the holding flange extending from that end, the portion of the clip defining the edge of said slot being engaged between said locking flange means and the holding flange on said one of said ends, when said switch closing member is in the position away from the barrel, the combined length of the said switch holding member and the locking flange means in the said direction being less than the said length of the slot.

2. A flashlight as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said locking flange is spaced from the said adjacent holding flange to form a slit therebetween in which the material of said clip around said slot is engageable to block said switch closing member into and out of said slot.

3-. A flashlight as claimed in claim 2 in which the said slit is at the end of the switch closing member nearer the said one end of the barrel, and in which the switch closing member has a projection on its other end extending towards the barrel about which projection the switch closing member can pivot when being moved toward the barrel.

4. A flashlight as claimed in claim 3 in which the switch closing member has a projection thereon adjacent the barrel, about which projection the switch closing member can pivot when being moved toward the body.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 5/ 1960 Great Britain. 4/ 1965 Great Britain. 

1. A BATTERY OPERATED FLASHLIGHT COMPRISING (A) A CYLINDRICAL BARREL HAVING AN APERTURE THERETHROUGH NEAR ONE END THEREOF, (B) A POCKET-ENGAGING CLIP MEMBER EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE BARREL AND BEING ATTACHED THERETO NEAR SAID ONE END THEREOF, THE CLIP MEMBER HAVING A SLOT FORMED THEREIN, (C) A FIRST SWITCH CONTACT MEMBER WITHIN SAID BARREL (D) A SECOND SWITCH CONTACT MEMBER PASSING THROUGH SAID APERTURE AND HAVING AT LEAST A PART LYING BETWEEN THE SLOTTED PORTION OF SAID SLIP AND THE BARREL, THE SECOND SWITCH CONTACT MEMBER BEING MOVABLE INTO AND OUT OF ELECTRICAL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FIRST SWITCH CONTACT MEMBER, AND (E) A SWITCH CLOSING MEMBER BEING CARRIED IN THE SLOT IN THE CLIP AND BEING MANUALLY MOVABLE TOWARDS THE BARREL TO ENGAGE THE SAID PART OF THE FIRST SWITCH CONTACT MEMBER TO ALTER THE STATE OF ELECTRIC CONTACT BETWEEN THE SWITCH CONTACT MEMBERS, THE SWITCH CLOSING MEMBER HAVING ENDS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY TO THE DIRECTION OF THE LENGTH OF THE CLIP AND THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE SAID ENDS BEING LESS THAN THE LENGTH OF THE SAID SLOT IN THE SAID DIRECTION SO THAT THE SWITCH CLOSING MEMBER CAN SLIDE IN THE SAID DIRECTION RELATIVE TO THE CLIP MEMBER, THE SAID SWITCH CLOSING MEMBER HAVING HOLDING FLANGES EXTENDING FROM THE OPPOSITE ENDS IN THE SAID DIRECTION, THE COMBINED LENGTH OF THE HOLDING FLANGES AND THE SWITCH CLOSING MEMBER IN THE SAID DIRECTION BEING GREATER THAN THE SAID LENGTH OF THE SLOT, THE SWITCH CLOSING MEMBER HAVING LOCKING FLANGE MEANS ON ONE OF THE SAID ENDS AND SPACED OUTWARDLY OF THE BARREL FROM THE HOLDING FLANGE EXTENDING FROM THAT END, THE PORTION OF THE CLIP DEFINING THE EDGE OF SAID SLOT BEING ENGAGED BETWEEN SAID LOCKING FLANGE MEANS AND THE HOLDING FLANGE ON SAID ONE OF SAID ENDS, WHEN SAID SWITCH CLOSING MEMBER IS IN THE POSITION AWAY FROM THE BARREL, THE COMBINED LENGTH OF THE SAID SWITCH HOLDING MEMBER AND THE LOCKING FLANGE MEANS IN THE SAID DIRECTION BEING LESS THAN THE SAID LENGTH OF TH SLOT. 